Submit Your Writing. Do it Now!

I had happy news yesterday. Several poems I submitted were accepted for a book about bedtime poems for children, coming out next month. The poems were ones that have been in my files for quite a long time. I'd subbed a couple of them to children's magazines earlier, but they were not accepted. So, back in the file folder they went. I was going to send just one or two to this new anthology but decided to send the lot. They might take a couple, I thought. What a surprise that they wanted all six, especially when I read that they had an overwhelming response and were not able to accept all the submissions received. 

If I'd left those poems in the file, they'd still be sitting there gathering dust or growing whiskers. The point here is 'If you don't submit, you cannot be published.' It's as simple as that. Conversely, it's not always a simple thing to submit your writing for publication. 

So, what's the problem? There are many reasons writers do not submit their work. Take a look at the following thoughts followed by one suggestion: 

 1.  It takes time:  First, you need to do some searching to find a place where what you have written fits. You should send an article on knitting to a handicraft magazine just as you would only submit a gardening essay to a  publication that deals with that subject. Once you find a market, you had better spend time checking and rechecking the submission guidelines. I cannot emphasize that step enough. Many submissions get tossed because they simply did not follow the guidelines. Next, you need to get the submission ready to send, whether by e-mail or snail mail. Guidelines often give how-to on this part of submitting, too. And finally, you need to record (somewhere, anywhere) what you sent, where you sent it, and when. So, yes--it takes time.

2.  Success is not guaranteed:  Darned little in this life is a sure thing, and submitting your writing to objective eyes is definitely a gamble. The odds are that more of your work will be rejected than accepted, especially in the early stages of your writing life. Convince yourself that you're not alone in this. We all know misery loves company, but your own misery after a rejection always runs higher. Take a chance. One of the submissions will eventually be accepted. Who knows, you might even have beginners luck and hit the jackpot on the first one. A nice dream you say? Well, it does happen occasionally.

3. Discipline is needed:  We all need discipline in many aspects of our lives. You had to learn to discipline yourself doing homework from grade school on. Submitting your writing is no different. It, too, requires discipline. Your spouse can't do it for you. Your kids can't do it for you, and neither can I. You know who must be the responsible one.

4.  No time like the present:  Don't promise yourself you'll submit your work next month or next week. Do it now. When we set the time line too far ahead, it's pretty easy to slide right on by. Do it now. And don't stop with one submission. I have numerous submissions out. All publications have different response times, so you need to keep the submissions going.

5. Watch for Calls for Submissions:  Make a habit of looking for calls for submissions. You'll find them in many writing newsletters and in groups on Facebook and other media platforms. 

6.  Start writing a new story:  This is a biggie. Once you send a completed piece of your writing to an editor, get started writing a new story right away. Keep the wheel turning and before you know it, you've established a habit.

You're a writer! You're special! Believe it!

Submitting Your Writing for Publication

 

The Old-Fashioned Way to Submit Your Writing

Learning the ins and outs of writing is important. There is a great deal of information to absorb as we begin our writing journey and continue down its path. We must become proficient in the tools of writing before we can submit what we write to an editor. 

There are writers who finish a first draft and submit to an editor immediately. Then, they are despondent when that submission lands with a dull thud and brings a rejection. Submitting is important, but not until you have done everything you can to make your submission stronger and better and of interest. 

We also see writers who write and write, revise and edit, write some more and file the story or essay or poem. They might be very happy with the way their piece of writing turned out, but even so, they file it and move on to a new writing project. And they never, ever submit their work for publication. Is the thinking If I don't submit it, I won't have to deal with rejection or is it fear that they are not good enough? It could be either one of those possibilities. Or perhaps the writer has no desire for publication; they write for their own pleasure, not to share with others. Is that being selfish? Perhaps, but it's also a choice that some writers make. It's not wrong, merely their choice.

If you do want to be published, the one and only way is to submit your work to a publishing house or an editor of a magazine or anthology. I had a writing friend years ago who always said, "Send it in! No one is going to climb in your bedroom and take your manuscript from your top dresser drawer1" His mantra to our writing group became "Send it in!" It was good advice. If you don't send it, you cannot possibly become a published writer. 

Years ago, writers had to send via snail mail, often with a SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) for the return answer. It was a lot of busy work getting that submission ready to send. Then the big wait until the SASE you enclosed came back to you with either an acceptance or rejection. If the latter, you sent it to the next editor on your list. And then you waited again. You used postage on the envelope you sent and the one you enclosed for the return answer. Do that often, and the cost adds up.

Now, submitting is so easy as we can do it by email or by filling out a form in Submittable or a form on an individual website. There is still the antsy waiting period, but eventually, something pops up in your email letting you know the result. The rejection is not any less painful, nor is an acceptance any more joyous. It's just a lot easier to submit today than years ago. Every now and then, I run across a place that still asks for a snail mail submission with that SASE, but it's rare. I usually pass right on by when I see their request.

There are still a few places that do not respond to a submission unless it is with an acceptance. One of the places where I have been published many times never sends a rejection. Instead, the writer is left hanging. After a long period of waiting and no acceptance, the writer grudgingly knows he/she has been rejected. Personally, I would rather have a definite rejection so I can move on. 

One of the important parts of submitting your writing is to read and study the Writer Guidelines and then follow them. Some publications give detailed guidelines, and others give few to none. The latter, I think, do themselves no favor, as they must receive scads of submissions that are not right for their publication. I much prefer a set of guidelines I can follow and also to know if what I am sending is alright for the publication. 

Once you submit a piece, don't sit around and wait for an answer. Get to work on a new project. Once you have a finished piece that you are satisfied with, send it in. Keep the submission Ferris Wheel moving all the time. 

Make a record of what you send, to whom, and when you sent it. When you get an answer, record the result, as well. You might think you'll remember, but if you submit often, it's likely you will forget the details.

To quote my friend once again: "Send it in! "Send it in!" Send it in!" You'll never be published if you don't do so.

Writing, Submitting, and You

 The following is a post that I had published at Michelle Rafter's WordCount blog several years ago. I ran across it recently so am posting today to give some tips and/or reminders.

WHY PUBLISH?

There are various reasons a person writes. A few people do it strictly for themselves, would never want the world to see what they’ve written. The mere act of writing satisfies the soul for some, and for others, a lack of self-confidence keeps them from submitting their work for publication. But the majority of writers strive for publication for various reasons, some of which overlap. 

Chief among them is cash, either needed or desired. Let’s be honest. There must be very few writers who wouldn’t welcome a check in exchange for words written. That old adage “Time is money” holds true for writers. They deserve compensation for the great amount of time it takes to ponder over an idea, to write, and then revise a piece. They offer knowledge and/or entertainment in exchange for money. 

For others, the byline is important. Seeing your name on a story that is available for the world to read gives one a sense of pride and a feeling of accomplishment. I once knew an obstetrician who claimed he received a thrill with every baby he delivered. Writers might feel the same with every new story, essay or article created. Each one comes close to the joy that the doctor experienced with every newborn he held in his skilled hands. 

Publication provides a way of touching the lives of others with the words written and printed in a magazine, newspaper, or ezine. A writer can derive satisfaction in the hope that she has made a difference in someone’s life. The sad part is that the writer seldom knows who, or how many, her words have touched. Occasionally, a reader will respond with a letter, phone call, or comment via a website to tell the author how her words have made a difference, how they taught a lesson or perhaps touched a heart. What could be a better inspiration to continue writing? 

Perhaps some write to fill a need to produce something worthwhile. They hope to leave something personal, a legacy of a kind. Long after a writer dies, her words can still be read by and touch succeeding generations. Even writers who don’t achieve great fame and fortune can be reasonably assured that their work will be passed down through the family for generations to come. 

THE SUBMISSION PROCESS

There is one great truth in writing for publication. You will not be published if you don’t submit your work. Submitting is step one. Sounds easy, doesn’t it, but in reality, a writer must have a few items in her internal tote bag to help in the process. 

First and foremost, she’ll need the courage to send her work to an editor. And don’t kid yourself--it does take courage to send your baby out into the publishing sea. The waters are deep, and the sharks numerous. Other authors have sent their precious words to the same editor. Which one is going to survive? There’s no way to tell, but if you don’t submit, you’ll never know if your words will be the ones to swim right into the publication process. Take a chance and send your work along with whatever is required in the writers’ guidelines. The rejections may outweigh the acceptances, but that’s what this business is all about. Statistics tell us that writers receive more rejections than acceptances, so toughen your hide and send your work to an appropriate publication. If it comes back, send it to another publication. 

The best way to match your story, essay, or article with the right magazine, newspaper, or ezine is to study market guides. There are several guides published annually that offer complete information about hundreds of publications. They list address, phone numbers, editors’ names, requirements, payment, and sometimes list current needs. Guides exist for novel writers, magazines, playwrights, poets, and song lyric writers. It is to the writer’s advantage to study the guide that pertains to her particular type of work. Most library reference sections have copies of the market guides. A writer can spend hours in the library taking notes, but he/she can also go online to find market guides or websites of specific publications, or visit a bookstore and purchase a copy. Keep in mind that they become outdated in a hurry. 

It’s also possible to use an internet search engine for writers’ guidelines. Use keywords to narrow the search. If you have written an article about building a backyard pond, look for garden magazines or How-To publications. If there is a particular magazine that interests you, put the name in a search engine, and look for the guidelines. Ask yourself if your article, story, or essay would be a good fit. It’s a waste of time to submit to them if you feel your work is way off base for that publication. 

Offering guidelines allows editors to reduce the number of unusable submissions sent to them. Guidelines provide a step by step guide for the writer. For instance, a writer can learn if single or double spacing is asked for, if paragraphs are to be indented or not, if there are certain items to be listed at the top of the entry (ie. name, address, phone, e-mail, word count, rights offered). Guidelines might specify that only unpublished work is accepted, or they might say that reprints are welcome. The information is there to help and is meant to be followed carefully. If the writer disregards the information, the submission will end up being tossed, so it is to his/her benefit to follow the guidelines carefully. 

If a cover letter is included with the submission, keep it short and professional. If at all possible, learn the editor’s name and use it--Dear Mr. Brooks rather than Dear Dan. If a writer has never been published, there is no need to point it out. If published, he/she should give a short resume of where his/her work might be found. 

Send the cover letter, the submission, and a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) if you are submitting through postal mail. Don’t add cutesy things to any of the above. Be professional at all times. If indicated that submissions are accepted via e-mail, so much the better. No postage, no SASE to be included. Pay careful attention to the guidelines as to whether the editor prefers attachments or to have the submission copied and pasted into the body of the e-mail. (NOTE: many editors use Submittable now as the only way to submit to them)

Set up a record-keeping system of some kind. It may be a series of index cards, a notebook with a page for each piece you’ve written, or a more complex spreadsheet on the computer. How it’s done is a personal choice, but do it. 

The last step in the submission process is not to sit back and wait for an answer. A response may not arrive for weeks, perhaps even months, occasionally never. The final step is to begin to work on a new story, article, or essay and start the submission process all over again. Keep a Ferris wheel of submissions going at all times.

Submitting Your Writing--Changes and a Tip

Change can be confusing!

I was musing about the changes in submitting our writing for publication in the 25 or so years that I have been writing. There are quite a few differences, but the process itself is far easier now than back in the early to mid-nineties. 

When I first started submitting, I wrote a cover letter on a typewriter and enclosed it with the typed manuscript with a SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope).  Then I had to go to the post office to make sure of the right amount of postage. Like today, the waiting game began. The acceptance, or rejection, arrived in the envelope I had provided in my US postal mailbox. 

In that cover letter, I provided the title and word count of my submission, why I was the person to write that story, my publications and any other information about myself that would be pertinent. 

Enter the world of the internet! Our submissions are so much easier now. We have access to the Guidelines of each publication in an instant. No more spending hours in the library with Publication Guides, poring over page after page trying to find one that fits what you hoped to submit. What a blessing! 

Submitting can still be different from various publications. Some ask the writer to send an email with an attached submission. Others forbid attachments; they instruct the writer to copy and paste the submission into an email. Some Guidelines ask for what once went into the cover letter while others don't care a bit whether you send any information about you, the writer. Your writing in that particular submission is your ticket to enter. 

In the past few years, many publications have gone to a Submittable form to be filled out by the writer. It usually includes your name, address, phone number, email address, fax address, the title of the story, word count, and a place to either upload or copy and paste your submission. There is nowhere that asks for your publication background or your expertise on the subject. That can be both a good and a bad thing. If you do not have a long history of being published, it's a good thing. If you do, and you feel like your background would be helpful in convincing an editor, then it's a bad thing.

I have come to appreciate and like the Submittable form. When I submit using an email message, I often include the information that was once used in the old cover letter. I figure it can't hurt, might help. 

The way we submit our writing has changed over the years, and no doubt, it will probably do so again in the near future. The important thing is that we go along with those changes, that we learn to use the new methods as they come along. 

One of the most important parts of submitting your writing is to read and study those Guidelines carefully. Every publication has its own set, and you'd better pay attention as each one asks for something different. Some are very limited in what they require while others (like Chicken Soup for the Soul) are very explicit. There are publications that offer no Guidelines whatsoever. I think they only hurt themselves by leaving things wide open as they are likely to receive myriad numbers of submissions that are not appropriate for their publication. 

My Hope For Writers This August

Summer seems to be slipping by awfully fast. I can't believe it is time to turn our calendar pages to the new month.

I liked this poster because it expresses something positive. I really do wish that something good happens for you this month, most especially in your writing world.

Maybe you'll get an acceptance from an editor. I saw a brand new writer on Facebook yesterday who said that she had made her first submission. It had been a month and she had checked the status. It said "in review' and she was quite excited. Her question to the writing group where she posted was how much longer she might have to wait to hear from the magazine. The advice in the comments below her post all gave her the same advice. Stop just waiting to see what happens for that first submission. Keep writing and keep submitting. I couldn't have said it better myself!

I've often mentioned the Submission Ferris Wheel. You need to submit your work on a regular basis if you have hopes of being published. Don't ever submit one piece, then sit back and wait to hear the result. You could grow old waiting as some editors don't respond if they don't want to publish what you sent. Chicken Soup for the Soul is one who notifies you only if your story is on the shortlist and then only if it makes the final cut. As much as I love the Chicken Soup for the Soul group, that is my one and only complaint. If my story didn't make it, I'd much rather know than wait. I have learned after a good many years that they usually publish a book about two months after the deadline for submissions. So, if two months have passed and you've not heard, you can consider it a No.

Almost every writing book ever published will tell you to start writing another story or article immediately after submitting an earlier one. Eventually, you'll know whether it's a go or not. Either way, you'll have something new to submit somewhere else IF you have kept on writing.

I hope those of you who have books published will have a big increase in sales this month of August. People are still looking for something to take on vacation or to while away the summer evenings on the porch.

May lots of story ideas pop into your head this month and I hope that maybe that trouble spot in the essay you've been working on will get resolved. My wish is that you will have a good conversation with another writer and that you'll get a critique with lots of complimentary comments from your writing group.

In short, I do want something good for all of you this month.

A Few Questions For Writers

Spring is my favorite season. I love the rebirth, or renewal, of so many lovely trees, bushes and flowers. I live in central Kansas and our flowering trees and bushes are in full bloom, daffodils, and pansies drinking up the sun. Tulips are up and soon to show their glorious colors. 

To celebrate this new season, I selected the poster quote above. Today's topic, however, is not about spring or flowers. It's about being dejected, frustrated, or disgusted. What prompted me to choose a 'downer' like this? I read a comment on a writing group facebook page from someone who had submitted a story to magazines twice and neither one wanted it. Now, she thought maybe she'd be better off trying to sell her story as a picture book instead since magazines didn't want it. 

I could tell from the tone of her words and what she had written on the post that she was all three--dejected, frustrated and disgusted. What I also perceived was that she had not been writing for long. I felt sorry for her, mostly because I've been there and so have almost all writers. 

We're told many times that it took this famous author multiple times before his book was accepted for publication, or that another successful author wrote four novels before selling number five. We read that and then go right on expecting to sell our work immediately and skip down the writing path singing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah." Sorry, but it doesn't work like that. Oh sure, a few people are fortunate enough to sell their first efforts right away, but most of us have to keep trying for much longer than we'd like. That old 'Don't quit your day job.' admonition to writers is right on. 

Even if you're lucky enough to sell the first story you've ever written, it might be a very long time before there's a second publication. If you don't expect total success to come your way with your first efforts, you're less likely to be showered with dejection and frustration or feeling disgusted. Sometimes, we set ourselves up for being whammied. 

What should we do? How should we approach this situation? For one thing, don't quit after two rejections. That's a pittance in the overall scheme of things in the writing world. Keep submitting until you either find a fit or learn the reason you were rejected. Occasionally, an editor will give you the reason why he/she did not accept your work. That isn't the norm, however. It's going to be up to you to figure it out. 

You might need to give thought to a few questions about yourself and the piece that got rejected. Things like:

• Did I follow the Guidelines exactly?
• Was my story right for the publication I sent to?
• Did I proofread carefully before sending?
• Did I edit the story more than once before submitting?
• Did I have a good opening; a good way to hook a reader?
• Did I overdo or not do enough?
• Did I report a situation or truly write a 'story?' 
• Did I overdo flowery language?
• Did I let the story sit and simmer before sending it?
• How long am I willing to keep submitting the story?

If I were sitting across a table having coffee with that young woman who had received two rejections, I'd urge her to reassess the story, consider the questions in the list above, and to look for more publications. Then submit it again. And again. And again. The last question I'd ask is a big one. 

Do you believe in yourself as a writer? If the answer is yes, then persevere and keep learning your craft. Don't give up!

Submission Choices and Considerations

Have you ever heard these cliches before? Don't mess with success. If it ain't broke, don't fix it? Then, there are a couple that contradicts the first two. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Don't look back, that's not where you are going.

This is all leading up to the fact that I've decided to try a new look on this blog. What I had was alright, but it's rather nice to try something new once in a while. Not sure this will be the permanent one. I have a whole lot of choices from Blogger. They do let you see a preview of what the background will look like. So many choices and also a lot to consider before selecting one.

It's much the same when we're looking for a place to submit our writing--lots of choices, much to consider. If you're sending something to a magazine or ezine, you'll be crossing your eyes by the time you research a number of them. Don't be tempted to select one of the first three you find. There are so many other choices. One of them might prove the better place for whatever you've written.

A problem, maybe a headache, is that it takes a great deal of time, effort and scrutiny on your part to find a good fit. Isn't it worth all that to submit to a place that is more likely to accept your submission than to ship it off to one that would have no interest at all? I'm not going to send a travel essay to a magazine that deals with cooking and recipes. (Unless the travel article is centered on what we ate on the trip) Make sure you're sending to a place that will be a good fit for what you've written.

Years ago, writers had to purchase a marketing directory or spend hours at the library studying theirs. No checking it out; you had to read it at the library, make your notes and hope you could make sense out of them once home. Now, a search engine of your choice will zap you quickly to myriad publications. Use keywords to narrow the search to ones that would work for what you want to submit.

Another consideration is whether you want a paying publication or if you're willing to be published with no-pay. Name recognition alone is alright with some writers and definitely a no-no with others. Add 'paying' or 'non-paying' as a keyword in your search engine.

Another decision before submitting is whether the circulation number is of utmost importance to you. Sure, we'd all like to be published in those publications that go to many thousands of subscribers. If you decide that is the only type of publication you are going to submit to, prepare yourself for disappointment as your chances are not nearly as good as they might be with a smaller circulation magazine or ezine. Think about submitting to the smaller circulation publication until you build up some credits. Then move on to the bigger, higher-paying markets.

I once knew a writer who chose one publisher to send her work to and one only. She received many rejections from said place, but she persisted. It took a very long time before she had an acceptance. I think she became her own worst enemy by narrowing her possibilities so much. However, she was a woman on a mission and she did achieve her goal. I've lost track of her so don't know if she is still subbing to the one and only, or if she's widened her horizons.

If you receive a rejection from a publication, don't cross them off your list for future submissions. There are myriad reasons that a piece is rejected, so don't give up at the first rejection. Try again with different submission and try another publication with the one that didn't make it.

If you have an opinion on the new look of the blog, feel free to send it to me in the Comments. Some of the items shown on the old blog are still there but not immediately seen. There are three little bars at top left. Click on those and all the pertinent things will show up. Scroll down to find them. I have had a lot of trouble switching this over. I thought I would strictly be changing the background. Wrong!

Submitting Your Writing--Round and Round We Go

Carousel in Strasbourg, France

I have loved carousels from childhood on. A few years ago, we were in Strasbourg, France walking on the outskirts of the town. As we approached the city center, I stopped to watch the lovely carousel. I'm sure I must have been smiling as I took in all its glorious bits and pieces.

Do you remember stepping onto the carousel platform, then walking round and round until you found the horse that you wanted to ride on? Sometimes, you had to run fast to get it before another child claimed that particular steed. I felt like a princess as we turned round and round with background music adding to the excitement. 

Submitting what we've written is a bit like the carousel as we need to choose a place to submit, then wait for it to either be accepted or rejected. If the first editor doesn't take it, then choose another horse on the carousel which only means we must find a second place to submit to. If it comes bouncing back, move on to yet another horse and send it once again. Round and round we go until we find that joyful yes from an editor.

We've all heard the stories about now-famous authors who submitted the same manuscript a zillion time before it was accepted. OK, maybe not a zillion but a whole lot. If memory serves me right, John Grisham submitted The Firm twenty-seven times before he finally sold it. That book was his first big hit. What if he'd given up about the tenth time--not moved on to that next horse on the carousel? 

Why did he persevere for so long? I suspect that he believed in his novel and he also believed in himself as a writer. Both are key to success. 

What if you aren't trying for publishing a novel? Maybe you, like me, write short stuff. Do you need to persevere and believe in your work and yourself?  I am convinced that it is to your benefit if you do. If you don't like what you're submitting, how in the world can you expect an editor to like it?

The writing may not be easy but selling what you've written isn't a simple matter either. Ride the submission carousel, moving from horse to horse, until you either find success or decide to yank the piece and rewrite extensively. Then, hit the carousel once again. The painted ponies will be waiting for you.

If you aren't willing to continue submitting a piece over and over again, maybe you aren't as serious about writing as you think you are.

Submitted 17 Times and Then....

Perseverance! It's one of my two keywords for finding success as a writer. The other one is Patience. 

Another oft-repeated phrase at this blog is "Believe in yourself." 

I have a writer friend who has shown all three of these traits with one personal essay that she wrote some time ago. Like all of us, she created the first draft, edited it, revised it and then began submitting the piece. After ten unsuccessful tries, she sent it to her writing group. Maybe they could see something missing that had not come to her. They read, they critiqued--she edited and revised some more and sent it to seven more publications.

That's seventeen tries with the essay. On the seventeenth submission, a journal accepted and published her work. Ecstatic? You bet she was. And rightly so. She lives on another continent but I can almost see her smiling from here. I admire her for staying with the essay and continuing to submit until it found a home. 

This true short story about a writer who practiced patience and perseverance and who believed in herself can be a good lesson for all of us who write. 

Think about work that you have submitted once, twice, three times and been rejected each time. What did you do next? Did you give up? Revise and resub? Turn to a writing group or writer friend for help? Would you have submitted the same piece seventeen times? 

I feel certain my friend felt depressed when rejection after rejection assailed her. Who wouldn't? She obviously did believe in herself and her essay enough to continue to submit. She was tenacious in her quest for getting the piece published. 

How about digging out some of those rejected pieces that are perishing slowly in your files? Approach submitting again, after a new edit and revision, with patience and perseverance. Most of all, believe in yourself but keep learning and refining your skill as a writer. 

Use the comments section to share any thoughts you have about the number of times you will submit your work. 

A Positive In Rejections

Do you love your rejection slips? Probably not. Usually, we'd like to tear them into shreds and throw them to the four winds to never be seen again. At least, that's how we feel when one arrives. 

High hopes are so easily dashed when the notice from an editor thanks you for submitting--ever so polite--but then goes on to tell you that the story just isn't right for their publication. Sometimes, they even invite you to submit something else another time. It's a long drop from those high hopes to the floor and the crash hurts more than our backside. Our ego suffers. Our self-confidence plunges. Our temper flares. 

So, we get through all that and then what? Maybe we should take a hard look at what Sylvia Plath, the American poet, novelist and short story writer, says in today's quote. Go ahead look at it. Read it aloud. Then take a little time to think about it. 

Perhaps we should take some pride in our rejections if, for no other reason, they let us know we made some effort as a writer. We wrote, we edited, we revised and edited again and then, we took a great leap of faith and submitted our work somewhere. And we waited to hear from the editor. And we waited and waited. 

Those writers who submit their work are the courageous ones. Far too many write and write and never submit a thing. Those writers are thinking What if they hate my work? What if it isn't any good? And worse yet--What if they accept it and want more? Can I produce more? Can I deal with success?

You'll never know the answers to those questions unless you actually submit your work. Every rejection you receive shows that you made some effort to get your work published. Those who do are the heroes/heroines. The longer you wait to start submitting your work, the harder it might be. 

Submitting is no assurance that you'll be published but you'll know you gave it a try. Who can do more than that? The one thing that you should do is to submit again and again. I've often referred to the Submission Ferris Wheel. Keep it going round and round with a new piece of writing in each seat. 

Whether you're successful in having your work accepted and published or not, derive satisfaction in knowing that you gave it your best. You did not let your stories, articles, book manuscripts and poetry gather dust in a file. 

Go back and read that quote one more time. Then start searching your files and markets and submit something. Today!

Send Your Work Via Any Method You Choose

                                                            

I could write three words that cover the topic I’ve selected for today, but readers might not be satisfied with such brevity, even though the words are pretty self-explanatory. Send it out! It's not the first time I've written a post with this subject. Nor will it be the last. This is a rerun of a guest blog post I did for a writer friend.

Your work may never be published, nor will you ever be paid, if you don’t send your stories, essays, articles or poems to an editor. It sounds so simple. Write a story, study a market guide, send the story to an acquisitions editor and wait for the acceptance.

When I was a newbie writer, I joined a critique group that met twice a month. Tom, the moderator of the group, and also the only published writer, constantly encouraged the members to send their work to editors. “No editor is going to climb in your bedroom window and search in your top dresser drawer for your manuscript.” He said it so often that I began to believe him. Send it out became our mantra, and the more I heard it, the more I believed it.

I was a late bloomer—didn’t start writing until well into my fifties. The desire to write had been there for many years, but I let Life get in the way. Because of that late start, I felt I needed to make up for lost time.

I studied market guides and sent my work to editors with high hopes, trying not to be discouraged when the rejection letters shot back into my mailbox like bullets from a high-powered rifle. Every now and then, an acceptance would arrive.

I began with no-pay websites and moved on to paying ezines and anthologies. Did I get rejections? You bet I did. Lots of them. But, my nonfiction stories are in eighteen Chicken Soup for the Soul books, three Guideposts anthologies, and a few others. The successes I had encouraged me to keep submitting my work. I tried some newspapers whose content aimed for senior citizens. Since I’m one of them, it seemed a natural.  And sure enough, they liked what I sent. I’ve become a regular in one. I’ve written articles on the craft of writing for several writers’ newsletters. I’ve even sold a few pieces of fiction.

None of that would have happened if I hadn’t sent my work to all those editors. “Send it out!” I hear Tom’s words in my mind when I’ve written something and am satisfied that it is a finished product. So I send it out.

There are reasons that some writers don’t send their work to an editor. Their files are filled with writing that no eyes but their own have ever seen.  

Why?

1. Fear of rejection:  Nobody likes rejection, but it’s a part of the writing game. Remember that it isn’t you personally that is being rejected. Maybe your story isn’t right for that particular publication
2. Not knowing how to study a market guide:  The more you read marketing material, the better you become at selecting the right editor.
3. It’s hard work:  Yes, it is, so you must decide how great a desire you have to see your work published.
4. Fear of success:  This one may sound laughable, but it can happen. If you succeed once, you’re compelled to do it again. And what happens if you become famous? It’s a very real fear for some people.
5. Lack of confidence:  Doubt runs rampant in a writer’s mind. Most writers question their own worth at times.

Look through your files and pick three finished pieces to send out. If one or all are returned, send them out again. If you get three rejections on one story, it’s time to look at it with objective eyes and revise. Then send it out again. John Grisham sent his blockbuster novel The Firm, to twenty-six publishers before it sold. We can all learn a lesson from that. Send it out and take a healthy dose of patience and perseverance along the way.

It's so much easier to submit your writing today than when you had to write a letter, enclose a SASE for the editor's convenience to return or accept your work. Email it or send via your phone. Many use the Submittable form on a website which is also very simple. It doesn't matter how you do it. Send it out!

This Advice Never Gets Old

                                                                           

I ran across the first guest blog I'd ever done and decided it held some advice still good several years later. My writer friend, Jennie, is no longer blogging but continues to write nonfiction books that get rave reviews. I'm posting that early blog post below to end this hot July week. Of course, in today's world, we're more apt to use our computers over snail mail to submit our work.

Thanks, Jennie, for asking me to be your first guest blogger. I could write three words that cover the topic I’ve selected, but readers might not be satisfied with such brevity, even though the words are pretty self-explanatory. Send it out!

Your work may never be published, nor will you ever be paid, if you don’t send your stories, essays, articles or poems to an editor. It sounds so simple. Write a story, study a market guide, send the story to an acquisitions editor and wait for the acceptance.

When I was a newbie writer, I joined a critique group that met twice a month. Tom, the moderator of the group, and also the only published writer, constantly encouraged the members to send their work to editors. “No editor is going to climb in your bedroom window and search in your top dresser drawer for your manuscript.” He said it so often that I began to believe him. Send it out became our mantra, and the more I heard it, the more I believed it.

I was a late bloomer—didn’t start writing until well into my fifties. The desire to write had been there for many years, but I let Life get in the way. Because of that late start, I felt I needed to make up for lost time.

I studied market guides and sent my work to editors with high hopes, trying not to be discouraged when the rejection letters shot back into my mailbox like bullets from a high-powered rifle. Every now and then, an acceptance would arrive.

I began with no-pay websites and moved on to paying ezines and anthologies. Did I get rejections? You bet I did. Lots of them. But, my nonfiction stories are in nine Chicken Soup for the Soul books, two Guideposts anthologies, and a few others. The successes I had encouraged me to keep submitting my work. I tried some newspapers whose content aimed for senior citizens. Since I’m one of them, it seemed a natural.  And sure enough, they liked what I sent. I’ve become a regular in one. I’ve written articles on the craft of writing for several writers’ newsletters. I’ve even sold a few pieces of fiction.

None of that would have happened if I hadn’t sent my work to all those editors. “Send it out!” I hear Tom’s words in my mind when I’ve written something and am satisfied that it is a finished product. So I send it out.

There are reasons that some writers don’t send their work to an editor. Their files are filled with writing that no eyes but their own have ever seen.  

Why?

1. Fear of rejection:  Nobody likes rejection, but it’s part of the writing game. Remember that it isn’t you personally that is being rejected. Maybe your story isn’t right for that particular publication
2. Not knowing how to study a market guide:  The more you read marketing material, the better you become at selecting the right editor.
3. It’s hard work:  Yes, it is, so you must decide how great a desire you have to see your work published.
4. Fear of success:  This one may sound laughable, but it can happen. If you succeed once, you’re compelled to do it again. And what happens if you become famous? It’s a very real fear for some people.
5. Lack of confidence:  Doubt runs rampant in a writer’s mind. Most writers question their own worth at times.

Look through your files and pick three finished pieces to send out. If one or all are returned, send them out again. If you get three rejections on one story, it’s time to look at it with objective eyes and revise. Then send it out again. John Grisham sent his blockbuster novel The Firm, to twenty-six publishers before it sold. We can all learn a lesson from that. Send it out and take a healthy dose of patience and perseverance along the way.

The Writing Keyword Today Is SUBMIT

I've been noticing that several members of my online critique group are writing toward a specific market. They're making an effort to write and submit. Keyword for today is submit. The majority of writers are aiming for publication. 

The very first step after writing and editing is to submit. A simple little word, a process that anyone should be able to complete. Right? Maybe not.

It takes more than a little courage to expose your work to the eyes of others, whether it be a friend, a critique group, or an editor. It's human nature to strive for praise. We'd all love to hear nothing but positives about the words we've strung together in a story, article, essay or poem. By submitting what you've written, you set yourself up for failure. Not really, but that's the way our minds work at times. 

Before you submit for publication, you need to get yourself in the proper frame of mind. Have a little chat with yourself. Do this in private or someone may call 911. Tell yourself that the only way you will ever see your work in print is to send it to an editor, or many editors. That you don't expect to have every single story you submit make it. That you'll keep the submision wheel turning. Remind yourself that the worst than can happen is that the first editor will reject your piece. Not a catastrophe. Every writer racks up rejections like beer cans at a frat party. 

Many fine writers have reams of stories, or whatever it is they write, in their files or printed and placed reverently in a looseleaf binder. They're afraid to take that first step to market their work. It's a shame because many of these writers could be, would be, should be published if they only had the courage and confidence in themselves to submit those stories. 

Notice the little meter at the top of this post--it says somethng important. You are in control. It's not me or your Aunt Susie or your husband/wife. It's you. I learned that from a man who was the moderator of the first critique group I joined, early in my writing years. His mantra was Send it in! Send it in! Send it in! I wrote an article about Tom and that group for the Long Ridge Writers Website several years ago. It details my own process of learning to submit my work. Read it before you have that little chat with yourself.

Ask yourself what you can do to gain the confidence it takes to show your work to others. You're not going to become a self-confident writer (or person) in one fell swoop. It's another of those step-at-a-time processes. If you do submit your writing and have an acceptance, or even an encouraging note from an editor, you'll move one step higher on the ladder. 

We All Love Surprises

Maybe the something this poster mentions is wonderful because it's unexpected. Don't we all love surprises? Isn't it fun when you pull the envelopes from your mailbox and find one that is not a bill, not a piece of junk mail, or not an advertising circular? Maybe it's an envelope holding a letter from a friend, one who passes on email and still sends you snail mail letters. I love getting those hand-written letters.

How about when an email pops into your inbox from an editor telling you he/she is going to publish the story you sent months earlier? That never fails to please me. A writer friend decided to try to write a Chicken Soup story for a particular book. She asked me for some thoughts and then I critiqued the story for her. My last piece of advice to her was send it in and then forget about it. It could be many months before you hear from them, or you may not hear at all. Move on to new projects.

Her story is a good one and I have high hopes of it getting into the final cut stage and then into the book. If it happens, it will be that something wonderful for her.

When that something wonderful does occur in our writing world, it helps to diminish the hurt and frustration of the times when we were rejected, or ignored.

One thing to keep in mind is that something wonderful cannot happen unless you keep sending your work to editors. Not once or twice a year--keep the ferris wheel moving at all times. The more you submit, the greater your chances of publication.

Perils of Publishing

There's been a small chat going on in my critique group. One of the members mentioned as her final comment to her message that ...once you start submitting everywhere...well, you start getting accepted, too.

How very simple a statement, but ladies and gentlemen, it's loaded with wisdom and good advice. If publication is your aim (and that's not always the case for every writer), you must submit your work. On a regular basis. It's like taking all your clothes off and walking naked down the main street of your town. Well, that may be pushing it a bit, but if you send your work to a magazine editor or an agent or a book publisher, aren't you baring it all? They are going to read what you've written. They are going to see what you think, what you write, what you care about in this life. Oh yes, it's all there hidden within the things you write.

I can't tell you how many times I run into a writer who is fearful of submitting. No one likes rejection, and if you submit your writing, you are at great risk of that happening. Not just risk. It's almost a certainty that you're going to receive some rejections. My own experience tells me it's not a bit fun, but along with those rejections, you have an excellent chance of being accepted, as well. With everything I write? might well be the first question you have after reading the preceding.

No, not with everything you write, but the chances are good that you'll have some acceptances if you do these things:

1. write and rewrite before you submit

2. edit and re-edit before you submit

3. let your work simmer a few days before you submit

4. add some sensory details to enhance what you've written before you submit

5. check for mechanical errors and correct them before you submit

6. read the guidelines carefully of the publication you are sending to before you submit

Submitting your work for publication is not for wimpy writers. Uh-uh! It's work. It all comes down to sending your best writing each time you submit. As for those inevitable rejections--learn from them. Study the returned piece and assess it with an objective, critical eye. 

Meanwhile, take your clothes off and walk down Main St--figuratively speaking, that is. Submit your best work and submit often. Don't let your writing gather dust in your files. Send it out!

O

Writing Short

Writers love words, but lots of magazines publish short pieces in-between full-length articles. A couple months ago, I found a call for submissions from Thriving Family magazine, which is part of the Focus On The Family Group. They are a Christian based publication geared to family life.

They were looking for short (200-200 words) lessons on how a parent succeeded in teaching their child something. It's been a good many years since I was raising children--my baby is turning 40 this year! But I suddenly remembered how frustrated I was when trying to teach our oldest how to tie his shoes. It was a requirement for kindergarten. I finally hit on a solution, and Kirk accomplished shoe-tying the night before the first day of school.

I wrote the short piece, sent it to my crit group for comments and suggestions, cut and revised it, and sent it in on August 15th. Yesterday, I received notice from the editor that he wanted to buy the piece. Not only was it a sale, but it happened in about 6 weeks time. I sent him the information about me that he needed for the contract. My short piece will be published in the January 2012 issue.

Thriving Family magazine has a full page of guidelines which are clear and detailed. Now, that I've gotten my foot in the door, I may try sending them a longer article/essay. For those, they pay 25 cents per word.

Writing short is not easy. A lot has to be said in a very few words. It's also to your benefit to try getting into a magazine through this venue. Once they've accepted your short submission. the editorial staff will be more likely to consider other longer pieces you send. Take a look at Thriving Family to learn what type of magazine it is. Then decide if it is one you can write for.